11 More Certifications to Expand Your Skill Set

In your comments, questions, Tweets and emails, you asked for more. And we’re ready to deliver.

Here are 11 more interesting medical certifications you might not have thought of:

For doctors

Certified Venous Access Specialist
There are LOTS of specific certifications for doctors and nurses in America. Rather than try to list all (or many, in dozens of little categories), we’ve spotlighted a few of the more interesting and unique accreditations and career paths here. For those interested in just what it takes to become a certified venous access specialist – for example – read-on:https://www.cvas.org/index.cfm/1,103,0,0,html/Hands-On-Workshops

Military doctor
For some, it’s hell on earth. For others, it’s the best job they’ve ever had. If you’ve ever wondered about the benefits and rewards of serving as a medical doctor (or nurse, or medic) in the U.S. military, check out this well-organized guide to the steps (and FAQs) involved:http://www.ehow.com/how_4894900_become-doctor-military.html

For nurses or technicians

Wilderness medic
Want to work in medicine but breathe the clean air of the great outdoors? Training as a medical doctor or medic in a wilderness setting opens up a universe of jobs in some of America’s most desirable locales. The reason why everyone isn’t running to do so? You need specific certification (and a high threshold for mosquito bites).http://www.wildmed.com/

Career change

Paramedic
A fast-paced and rewarding vocation, this challenging career change for technicians or someone in nursing can provide an exciting and meaningful alternative to life in the E.R. Interested in what it takes? Check out the national association of EMTs for more:http://www.naemt.org/

Alternative therapy
From acupuncture to hypnosis, your first stop in checking out the growing field of alternative healing (and how you could supplement your current skill set with or completely change over to this practice) should be the national accrediting body for certification:http://www.joinaama.com/

Fundraising
Though not directly tied to actually practicing medicine or doing research, this can be a rewarding career path in every way. Though no specific certification is necessary, a dual background in medicine and business is an asset. Click on the link below for more on some of the specific training available to help become a fundraiser for a clinic, hospital, or other medical business entity:http://www.developmentdialogues.com/

For all medical professionals

Professional public speaker
The most sought-after public speakers with a proven track record in the corporate/medical field can earn $20, $30, even $50,000 per speaking engagement and up. Why not cash in and challenge yourself by training to better present on what services, research, newsworthy treatments, and success stories you can uniquely speak on.
Training for medical speakers:http://www.successfully-speaking.com/medical.php
Price ranges and content from current professional medical speakers:http://bureau.espeakers.com/hcsn/

Author
Like many facets of practicing medicine, you either have what it takes here or you don’t. And while not all successful authors are financially successful, self-help books can be extremely lucrative as long as they can distinguish themselves from the rest of the pack. As with medical journalism and TV appearances, having a book out can also be extremely beneficial to your practice and/or your career in general. As with other medical writing, you can go through degree-level journalism programs that specialize in science and/or medical writing, but the real certification for writing books is your career experience and your ability to articulate it.

TV correspondent
While being a medical journalist won’t keep doctors (and some nurses) in the standard of living to which they’ve become accustomed, occasional medical journalism in print or on-camera can be a fun supplement to your current job. Serving as an on-camera consultant and frequent guest may be done pro-bono (in exchange for notoriety and exposure for you) or may be paid with bigger networks, especially if more than an occasional few hours of time is required.

Are there any other career paths or certifications you’re interested in that aren’t here? Leave a comment below, or check out our original post…